Roscommon Castle playing host to music and cultural festival

Athlone Advertiser, Fri, Jul 24, 2009

At the end of August, Roscommon town will host the best of Irish and international music and culture as part of an expanded Cruinniú sa Chaisleán festival to be held in the surrounds of Roscommon Castle as part of National Heritage Week in Ireland.

The two-day event will feature legendary singer songwriter Paul Brady, renowned Irish musicians Matt Molloy, John Carty, and Arty McGlynn as well as the Celtic Tenors, bands of the Defence Forces School of Music, and Arcana Drum Corps, who are all confirmed for the two day event to take place on Saturday August 29 and Sunday August 30.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Loughnaneane Park and located in the intimate surrounds of Roscommon Castle, the fully seated event promises to be a unique spectacle of culture and music combining a local, national, and international flavour, which will attract a dedicated and enthusiastic audience from near and far.

This year’s event sees an expansion of the successful themes introduced in 2008. Saturday evening will feature the bands of the Irish Defence Forces in a Military Tattoo display, along with the renowned Celtic Tenors who have established themselves as the most successful classical crossover artists ever to emerge from Ireland. These will be complemented by a special drumming display which will be undertaken by Arcana Drum Corps, featuring local drumming hero Johnny Donnelly of Saw Doctors fame, along with a choreographed fireworks display overlooking Roscommon Castle and Loughnaneane Park. Sunday night will see an exhibition of traditional and contemporary Irish music, headlined by legendary singer songwriter, Paul Brady as part of his Travellin Light tour. Support will be provided by the equally renowned talents of flute-player Matt Molloy, alongside John Carty and Arty McGlynn in what promises to be a very special night of traditional and contemporary music culture.

Promoted by Roscommon County Council in association with the Irish Defence Forces, the event is supported by Failte Ireland and is a unique event in the county’s tourism and cultural calendar. In particular, the event is aimed at attracting additional visitors into the region, extending the tourism season, and providing greater visibility and use of the fantastic heritage attractions in the county. Supporting this initiative, a number of select hospitality providers in the area are offering special accommodation packages for the weekend, including tickets for the event. This ranges from guesthouse accommodation in the centre of Roscommon town at Gleeson’s Townhouse, through to luxury five-star accommodation at Kilronan Castle.

There is strong demand for tickets for each fully seated show taking place in Roscommon Castle, whilst a range of other activities and displays will take place in Roscommon town over the weekend, making it a real family festival occasion. Tickets are available from the box office at Roscommon Arts Centre, on (090 ) 6625824 and from local outlets. Individual tickets are priced at €30 for the first evening and €35 for the second evening. Special concession prices are available for children and older people for the first evening of entertainment. For more information log on to www.roscommonevents.com